A Thing Called a Star
by Trignifty
Summary: A large fire was blazing in the hearth and her father was talking with a strange man. When she entered the room, he stopped talking and looked up at her, standing up, he gave her a nod of gretting. "Ah, Miss Brillare, do sit down, we have much to discuss"
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Stardust, or anything created by the author. All the original characters however, belong to me.**

**Prologue**

"Make a wish," said the Father, hugging his daughter close, stroking her curly brown hair.

"I wish, I wish" said the green eyed girl, trying to make a decision between all the things that she wanted in the World, "I wish that Mama would come back." She finally decided, snuggling up to her father, and sticking her thumb into her mouth.

"I do too," said the man, wrapping his arms tighter around the toddler, "I do too." And so together, Father and Daughter made a wish, as a single shooting star illuminated the night sky.

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Far away, a group of Astronomers were already at the place where the Star had landed. Climbing into the crater, that the Star had made when it had crashed into the Earth, they noticed a peculiar thing. The previously soundless night was split by a noise, the wailing of a baby. Using torches for light, the group strained their eyes against the darkness, searching for what could have been making the crying. It was one of the young apprentices that spotted the source of the noise first. Climbing further towards the center of the crater, she disappeared into the darkness, returning, minutes later, carrying a small bundle. "It's a girl" she said, looking up at the group, tilting the bundle, so that the other members of the group could see the precious blonde haired baby that the woman held in her arms.

"How did she get here?" Asked one of the men, leaning closer to get a better view of the baby.

The leader pushed back his hat, rubbing his forehead with his hand, "Beats me" He said quietly. He then turned to the woman who had rescued the baby, "Good work miss, you have pulled much more than your fair share of the load this night." Turning once again he addressed the whole group, "We will return to camp, but be ready to come back here in the morning when we've got light to see."

And so they did. But when they returned to the site the next morning they found nothing. No meteor. No huge celestial rock. Nothing. Nothing, that is, but a huge crater in the ground, and the baby girl.

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**To be continued**

**Thanks for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated!**

**I am also considering getting a beta for this story, if you are interested please PM me, and I will let you know what that will entail. Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Stardust, or anything created by the author. All the original characters however, belong to me.**

**Sixteen Years Later**

**Chapter 1-A Question of Maturity**

A lone figure walked along the dusty street, whistling tunelessly. A small messenger bag was slung over her shoulder, and a blonde pony tail bounced with each step. A gust of a summer breeze ruffled her hair, and she turned her face to the inviting wind, allowing it to cool her burning cheeks. Her blue eyes squinted, as the cool river air made them water and tear up. A flurry of dead leaves blew across the street in a whirlwind, and tiny grains of sand bit into her bare legs, blown but the wind. And then, just as soon as the wind had begun, it ceased, leaving the fir trees once again still and silent, and the street void of movement.

Summer in River Running was anything but unpleasant. Set in a secluded valley in the Forostar Mountains of the North the Summers were mild and enjoyable, finding most of the inhabitants of River Running out of doors. Children played in the river, in a swimming hole built by the men of the village so that no child would be swept away by the current. The work load was low, minimized to nothing but tending the gardens and the livestock, but even that was a simple task, for the cows and sheep were permitted to have the run of the land, set loose to grow fat on natural roots and shrubbery.

Turning left, towards the sound of rushing water, the girl soon found where most of the town had disappeared to. The swimming hole was crowded as ever. Children ran to and fro, splashing each other, and playing classic swimming games such as water tag and the infamous Sharks and Minnows. Adolescents flirted, while the women of the village observed them with watchful eyes. Men had rolled up their shirt sleeves and relaxed by the water's edge, discussing things of boredom such as politics and money matters. Smiling, the girl took in the cheerful scene, lit by the dappled summer sunlight.

"Kara! Kara!" The blonde turned to see a black haired girl climbing out of the water, soaking wet, with a large smile plastered on her face.

"Yeah?" asked the blonde of the younger girl.

"Kara! Do you want to come swimming with us?" asked the dark haired girl, a pleading expression in her eyes.

Kara sighed, "Leslie, I would _love_ to, but I can't."

"Aww, why not?" asked the younger girl, replacing the smile that she had formerly worn with an artificial pout.

"I have some stuff that I want to talk over with Mama and Papa, but after that" added the girl, seeing Leslie's crestfallen expression, "If it is still daylight then I will be thrilled to go swimming with you, okay?"

The younger girl looked up at the older one, "You promise?"

"I promise. Now you go back to your game, I'll be back in no time if my talk with Mum and Dad doesn't take too long, alright? I promise." With that, the girl stood up and turned and began walking along the river's edge towards her home. After another fifteen minutes or so, the river widened out and became much shallower until it was almost like a large shallow pool. When it had once been fifteen feet across, the river now spanned thirty five feet, and the current had been reduced to almost nothing. It was the peaceful calm of this wide spot of the river that Kara had learned to know as her home.

Here, weeping willows grew in great numbers, their long trailing tendrils sweeping into the water, disturbing what little current there was. This pool teemed with fish, silver trout, snapper, bass, and even some salmon had been known to be found in the clear waters that Kara had grown up with. A single bald eagle circled high above the pool, perhaps searching for unsuspecting prey, or even looking for the perfect tree to create its nest.

Beyond the willows stood a small cottage, past the fence, a middle aged woman was stooping over some azalea bushes. Kara opened the gate and walked up the paving stones, the woman, hearing her footsteps looked up, and gave the girl a wide smile. "Hi honey," she said, straightening up and setting down her garden shears. "Did you get the letters alright?"

"Yes I did" said Kara, flashing a wide grin, and pulling three rolls of parchment from the bag that she had slung over her shoulder. "And guess who one of them is from?"

"I'll never be able to, so how about to tell me?" said the woman, smiling fondly at her oldest daughter.

"From Auntie Rose, I didn't read it, but imagine hearing from her. We haven't gotten something for her in who knows how long."

"From Rose?" Questioned the woman, raising an eyebrow, "I wonder what she has to say, who were the other letters from?"

Kara turned over the other pieces of parchment. "One is just a bill, and the other is from Mr. Warbeck from the Academy of Astronomy who you and Papa are such good friends with."

"Oh, it'll be nice to hear from him, did you know that he was the leader on one of the first expeditions that your father and I went on? It was to investigate the landing site of a shooting star." The woman got a faraway look, reminiscing about days gone by.

"Yeah, you and Dad have told me" Kara was about to add _many times_ after that, but decided that it would be rude and impertinent, but despite that, the comment still came out sounding rather disrespectful. "And I've enjoyed your stories every time" she said in a lame attempt to make it up to her mother. _Oops._ The last thing she needed was her mother in a bad mood, especially with the questions that she wanted to ask her. "Mama," said Kara, sitting down on the porch steps.

"Yes?" asked her mother, taking a seat next to her.

"You've never kept it secret from me that I'm adopted" began the young blonde slowly. She wasn't quite sure how to go about saying this. "I mean, it would have been difficult to keep me from wondering anyway," she said chuckling. The entire Brillare family was dark haired and dark eyed, Kara was the one exception, with her blonde hair and blue eyes she stuck out like a sore thumb. "But, you've never told me how or where you found me, or who my real parents are, and" she sighed, "I think I'm ready to know."

Her mother placed her arm around her daughter's shoulders, hugging her close. "Sweetheart, did you ever think that the reason why we never told you who your real parents were was because we didn't know? We don't want to keep it secret, we just don't know."

Kara twisted in her mother's grip to look into her face, try to detect a trace of a lie. Nothing. Closing her eyes she snuggled up to her mother. "I guess so, but would there be any way at all to trace them?"

Suddenly she felt her mother's fingers reach under her chin and tip her head up towards her own. "Honey, I don't think so. But may I ask what is bringing all these questions?"

Kara shrugged. "To be honest, I don't know. Just curious I guess."

"Well," began her mother quietly, "I'm sorry that I can do nothing to aide that curiosity, but I want you to know that your father and I love you just as much as Leslie. We couldn't love you any more if you were our own daughter, which you are to us. But I want you to know that we love you very much."

Kara smiled and snuggled closer to her mother, "I know, and I love you too."

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**To be continued**

**Reviews are greatly loved. They make the author happy and more inclined to post quickly, so go review!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Stardust, or anything created by the author. All the original characters however, belong to me.**

**Chapter 2****-Unwanted guests**

Kara tossed and turned in her bed, trying anything to get to sleep. But whatever she attempted never worked. Counting sheep? Nope. Closing your eyes and pretending to be asleep? Nope. Eating lots of foods that were supposed to make you sleepy? Nope. When she was younger it had gotten so bad that her mother had ordered a sleeping potion from the great city of Port Cirdan on the coast. Even with the potion, Kara had difficulty sleeping.

Next to her, Leslie was fast asleep, snoring lightly, her small shoulders rising and falling with each breath. Inch by inch, Kara slowly climbed out of bed, grabbing her robe from where it was hanging on the footboard and tiptoed out of the house to the door. Carefully, she grabbed a hold of the handle, turning the lock, and pulling the door open, being careful so as not to let the hinges squeak. Once the door was open, the young blonde slipped outside, shutting the door behind her again.

These late night ventures had become customary to her, as she had been using them as tactics to escape from the oppressive thought of attempting to get to sleep for the past sixteen years of her life. Walking down to the river, she sat down on the bank in the damp grass below the willows, her bare feet curled up underneath her. Relaxing, she turned her head to gaze up into the night sky. The moon was casting an eerie glow over the small mountain valley, assisted by a million glittering stars.

It was then that she heard the twig snap. Spinning around she stared in the direction that the sound had come from, straining her eyes against the darkness. Beneath the shadow of one of the nearby trees she swore she saw another shadow move, dark and ominous. She bit back the reflex to scream, and began to slowly inch away from the shelter of the willow trees, moving closer to her family's cottage. There, the shadow reappeared in a crouched position. Kara was oddly reminded of a great cat stalking its prey. Slowly, slowly, the shadow inched towards her. She wanted to run, but she felt her legs firmly rooted to the ground, as if held there by some invisible force.

It was getting nearer; Kara could almost hear its shallow breathing, mixing with the pounding of her racing heart. It was fifteen yards away, ten yards, five yards. It would be upon her any moment. Her breath hitched in her throat, she had to run, but she couldn't. She had to scream, but she couldn't. And the thing was getting nearer and nearer with every passing thought.

Suddenly, the call of an eagle split the soundless night. The creature reared up from its crouched position and looked around. Kara took this lapse of concentration to turn tail and run. She sprinted towards the cottage, her heart racing. She arrived at the fence and vaulted it instead of taking the time to unlatch it, raced up to the door, flung it open, and slammed it shut with a bang, slamming down the lock.

She had no idea how long she stood there, leaning against the closed and locked door, panting, trying to catch her breath. Finally, she twisted to peek out the small window to the left of the door, and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Just the small mountain valley, bathed in eerie moonlight.

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By the next morning the whole town was abuzz with the news. The King's private messengers were in River Running. They were called the Maethor, and wherever they went, bad luck soon followed. Whether it be in the form of famine, drought, sickness, or odd disappearances, the Maethor had built themselves a bad reputation.

There were seven Maethor total. They were always cloaked, in black robes that covered their faces. It was said that no one but King Addanc himself had seen the faces of the Maethor, and most people said that they wanted it to stay that way. The Maethor rode huge black stallions, and had such a vast assortment of weapons that it would make a trained warrior tremble in fear. Rumors said that the Maethor had magical properties gifted to them as well, but more sensible folks said that those were just old wives tales.

So when the seven arrived in River Running, it caused quite a stir in the typical slow, quiet way of life. Children were told to stay inside, the streets were silent, and you could almost feel the fear in the air. Everyone spoke in hushed voices, and if one who did not know that the Maethor were present happened to wander into town they would have thought that all the inhabitants had been struck dead, for the town itself seemed abandoned.

Because they lived away from the mainstream of the town, the Brillare valley seemed relatively undisturbed. The family went about their business, though Kara and Leslie were not permitted to go beyond the fence that circled the house. Mistress Brillare remained inside, saying that no, she wasn't scared and that she was going to clean the house that day anyway. Master Brillare had said that he would go into town to see how much of the rumors were really true, and had returned in less than an hour, proclaiming that the town looked like it had been struck by the plague.

It was late afternoon by the time Kara had mustered up enough courage to approach her parents with the story of what she had seen the night before. Walking into the bedroom, where her mother was sweeping and her father was sitting in one of the chairs reading, she stood in the doorway for several moments, contemplating how to best go about this. Stepping into the room, she crossed it and sat down on a small box situated by the window.

Her father looked up from the book he was reading and gazed at his eldest daughter through his spectacles. "Is there something that you wanted to speak to us about?" he asked her, "Or did you just come in to keep us company?"

Kara fidgeted with her hands, twisting and turning them in her lap. "Yeah, there is something that I wanted to talk to you, to both of you about." Her mother had stopped sweeping and was looking at Kara with a questioning gaze. Her father gave her the nod to continue. "Well," she began again, "Last night, I couldn't sleep, so I went outside to sort of unwind a little, you know how I do that once in awhile." She sighed, trying to decide how best to say the next part. "I was sitting down by the river, under the willows, and, and," she shivered, recollecting the memory. "There was this, this, _thing_. It seemed more shadow than human, and it was creeping up on me. I wanted to run, but I couldn't. I knew that it was going to get me, but then there was a bird call that distracted it, and I turned tail and ran all the way back to the house." She paused, and wiped her sweaty palms on her apron, "I, I think it was a M-Maethor, but, but what would one of _those_ be doing here?"

Her two parents exchanged knowing looks, which seemed to say, 'should we tell her?' Kara looked from her father to her mother and back to her father again, unasked questions clear in her eyes. At long last, her father let out a sigh, closed the book, and looked fondly at his daughter. "We might as well tell her Abigail," he said slowly.

Kara's mother nodded, "Whatever you think is best Jefferson."

He nodded and motioned to Kara to come over and stand next to where he was sitting. She stood up from her seat on the box and crossed the room in a few quick steps, arriving at the big armchair that her father now occupied. Perching on the arm she looked at her father, a questioning glimmer in her eyes.

"Honey," he began slowly, "you know what a star is don't you?"

"Of course I do" she said quickly, "they're big balls of gas that hang up in the sky at night."

Her father nodded, "That would be correct about most of them, but not all."

He then proceeded to tell her about how he and her mother had been on a researching trip to investigate a fallen star, and how when they arrived there all they found was a baby girl, omitting a faint glow. He told her how her mother had ventured into the crater to rescue the girl, and brought her back, and how the leader of the group had given the young couple the permission to adopt the tiny baby.

"That baby was you" said her father, hugging his daughter affectionately.

"I could have figured that myself" said Kara, somewhat sarcastically. Suddenly she stopped, as the full meaning of what her father had said hit her like a ton of bricks. "Wait, does that mean that I'm a, I'm a" She couldn't even manage to utter the word, and after a long struggle she managed to whisper, almost inaudibly "a s-star? But," she paused "That's ridiculous, stars aren't _people._"

Her father shrugged. "There are old stories about how there used to be stars that fell to earth in the shape of women. They have become nothing but legends and myths nowadays though. There was one of these such tales that said that one of the fallen stars even became the Queen of Stormhold, Yvaine I believe her name was. But tell no one that I have told you this. These tales" he paused and glanced around as if checking to see if there was anyone around who could over hear them. "These tales" he began again "have been banned by our King, anything about a Star is considered illegal, he doesn't want anyone to know about them, why that is, I have no idea. But" he said, looking Kara in the eyes with an intense gaze "You are not to tell anyone about this, not Leslie, not anyone. You could endanger your life as well as those of all of River Running."

Kara closed her eyes trying to take it all in. It was too much; her brain was going to explode. She shivered, as the information set in. "So do you mean, the Maethor came for _me_? But why?"

"We don't know sweetheart, we just don't know, but we promise that they won't get you, your job is to just not let anyone know what you really are. Do you think you can do that?"

Kara nodded dumbly, still attempting to get her brain around the concept. A Star?

"Good job honey, now why don't you go play with Leslie? I'm sure she would enjoy your company."

Kara nodded again, and walked out of the room as if in a daze. It was only once she was out of her parent's sight that she began to cry.

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**To be continued**

**Please remember that reviews feed my hungry muse, and right now my muse is quite hungry for reviews.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Stardust, or anything created by the author. All the original characters however, belong to me**

**Chapter 3-When Push Comes to Shove**

Days passed, but the Maethor were not forgotten. The town still remained in doors, with the windows shut tight. Children began to squall, begging to be let out of the steamy houses, to be permitted to run free again. Men took down their old hunting rifles from their places above the fire place mantles so as to have them somewhate protected if the worse should happen. It never crossed their minds to ever actually shoot a messenger of the King, but the Maethor gave one a sense of panic that instilled a fear that was difficult to subside. A gun, a weapon of any sort offered a false security to some, and that was why they were present.

Animals, too felt the change in the town. Dogs paced to and fro growling with their fur standing on end. Squirrels and chipmunks that typically frequented the streets of River Running were nowhere to be seen, and the birds remained in their nests, hidden from view. It was only after a week had passed that people began to relax again, and, though the summer days had lost their festive feel, people began to once again go about their daily lives.

Every so often a hooded and cloaked figure would appear on the street, causing women to hurriedly shoo their children inside, and then follow suit, shutting the door tight behind them, but it seemed that the Maethor wanted to keep to themselves and as such did not force themselves upon the people. An arrangement that suited the town nicely, it was their philosophy that if the Maethor had to be there then at least they were leaving them alone for the most part.

Kara was kept under wraps even more now due to the appearance of the Maethor. Though she was permitted out of doors, the young girl was not allowed any farther away from the house than the fence, and so that was where she was when a young man came into view walking along the river's edge towards the Brillare home.

Standing up from where she was raking the garden she shielded the sun from her eyes with one hand, and raised the other in greeting, the lone figure returning her silent salutation with wave of his own, for the two young people knew each other well. In no time he had reached the fence, and the young blonde had rushed to unlock the gate, welcoming the young man into the yard, shutting the gate behind him.

"What is this?" He asked turning around, a smile playing on his lips, "You see me coming and don't rush to greet me? What has gotten into you missy?"

Kara laughed, "You know how it is, Mama and Papa are terrified of the Maethor and as such have instructed me to stay within the boundaries of the fence, and I couldn't bring myself to be disobedient."

"Funny" he said, a mock frown creasing his face, "Have they forbidden you to have guests as well?"

The girl rolled her eyes, "Of course not, would you like to come in?"

"Of course I would."

Kara turned and led the way up the paved walk to the house, pushing the door open and calling out in a loud voice "Mama! David Bennett is here!"

In an instant Madame Brillare had come bustling into the room, to welcome David into her home, planting a quick kiss on his cheek as he stepped through the doorway. The Brillare and the Bennett families had been close for what seemed like forever. It was said in the town that the Bennetts raised the Brillare children and vice versa, for the two families spent so much time together. 

David and Kara were the closest in age, Kara being the eldest Brillare child and David being the youngest Bennett, he was seventeen, though in four months, when the Autumn came his eighteenth birthday would pass making him legal to own land, raise a family, and to vote for the mayor of River Running. Because the age difference was a mere year or so, Kara and David had grown up almost inseparable. And though as they became older they began to drift towards spending time with different children of River Running they still remained supremely close.

"And Master Bennett" said Madame Brillare in a business like voice, "What brings you here today?"

"It is actually by the request of my dear mother that I have come to your humble abode" said the boy, dropping into a dramatic bow, "She has been requesting the assistance of one of your able bodied daughters."

Madame Brillare nodded, contemplating the request. "Well, Leslie should return within the hour, as soon as she arrives I will send her right up to your place."

"But Mama" Cut in Kara in a pleading voice, "I would love to go, you know that."

Madame Brillare bit her lip, considering her daughter's request. Kara watched her carefully, silently pleading for the tiny bit of freedom and the chance to escape from the confines of the all-too-familiar fence. Finally the woman let out a small sigh. "Alright Kara, you may go, but as soon as you have completed your duties you are to come right back, understood?"

"Yes Mama" Said the blonde in a serious tone, which broke into a smile as soon as she and David had excited the home.

"What was she so nervous about?" asked the boy, as soon as they were out of earshot of the house.

Kara shrugged, "You know Mama, just paranoid about the Maethor I guess, wow it's nice to be out of doors again."

"So she's been keeping you cooped up inside the house all this time?"

Kara nodded in silent response.

"Well," began David again, "She need not worry, the Maethor seem to prefer to stick to themselves, though I can't help but wonder what they are doing here."

Kara bit her lip, for she was certain that she knew very well what they were doing there. Then again, they had not disturbed the Brillare residence since the first night and perhaps the whole thing about her being a Star had just been something thought up by her parents to ensure that she would be extra careful. Besides, what did the Maethor care if she was Star, Human, or Elf? She saw no reason for them to be in River Running that was connected to her.

David seemed to notice her unnatural silence and stopped walking. "Kara? Is there anything wrong? You seem sort of," he frowned, searching for the correct word, but Kara cut him off before he could continue.

"No, I'm-I'm fine, just sort of out of it is all, I'll be fine."

Her companion nodded, and resumed walking. In no time at all the two of them had reached the Bennett home. It was an impressive house, located in a prime location near the river, with easy access to the hustle and bustle of Main Street. The Bennetts were known to be a prosperous family, that made their money multiply and their sons tall. Not to mention their daughters as well. Kendra, the only daughter of this generation of Bennetts was rumored to have a position in the court of King Addanc secured, though you couldn't believe everything you hear.

David was the youngest at seventeen, with two older brothers and an older sister, all of whom Kara had come to know well over the years. But, bit by bit, each of the Bennett children had gone off to larger cities or gotten married until David was the only one left in River Running. But, if one paid attention to the gossip among the mothers of the town, at least half the population were eyeing the youngest Bennett boy to be a decent husband for their daughters. It was Kara's opinion that no girl would be stupid enough to marry him, and if they were, then they had no idea what they were getting into.

When they stepped into the vast entry way of the Bennett home, they were greeted by the bustling, slightly plump form of Madame Bennett, her cheeks made rosy from the heavy layers of expensive material that she wore despite the warm day. "Ah, Kara, it is just wonderful to see you! How is your dear mother and father? And your sister? Did she get over her cough? Oh I am so glad your mother sent you, you'll be just perfect for my little job, would you care for some tea?" And with that she led Kara away to whatever task she had waiting for her, a look of somewhat confused dismay upon the blonde girl's face.

A soft summer breeze rustled the trees; the sun was setting, leaving the valley of River Running bathed in a golden glow. A single bird sung a quiet melody from a tall pine, breaking the silence that had spread over the sun washed stillness.

"So, what did Mother have you do exactly?" asked David, looking over at Kara who was sprawled on the grass next to him.

"Not much, just little odds and ends, all stuff that she could have done perfectly well on her own" said the girl chuckling, "but, you know her, always requesting assistance."

"Oh I know her better than you ever will," said David with a grin, "I've lived with the woman seventeen years."

Kara smiled, and had someone a bit more observant been watching the pair, they would have sworn that for a brief moment the little Brillare girl had been glowing, but that was of course ridiculous, a trick of the setting sun perhaps. But all at once the illusion disappeared without a doubt, as the sound of a twig cracking echoed through the quiet evening. Suddenly, Kara sat up, all trace of a smile gone, looking around frantically. David, too, sat up, looking at her strangely. "Kara? What's the matter? Why are you-" The young blonde put her finger to her lips, silencing him, straining her eyes against the dim light. The bird had ceased it's singing, making the clearing ominously silent.

The sun had all but disappeared, its final rays vanishing behind the mountaintops, and with the sun went any trace of calm that Kara had managed to hold onto. "David, what do you think is nearer, your home or mine?"

The boy gave her a strange look, "I would say yours, but why do you a-" He never got to complete his sentence, for a hiss split the still air, as a hooded and cloaked shape appeared out of the woods on the other side of the river. The faint light illuminated a sinister looking silver blade in its hand, making shivers run up and down Kara's spine. "Kara" said David out of the corner of his mouth, "Run." She needed no further bidding, spinning she took off sprinting down the path towards her home. Behind her she could hear David's footsteps, as the two of them ran for all they were worth.

Chancing a glace behind her, Kara saw a sight that frightened her even more, the Maether was catching up, and it didn't look like it was using any energy at all, it seemed to be gliding over the grass effortlessly. At least it was still on the other side of the river. A stitch had developed in her chest, but it caused her to just redouble her efforts, running for her life. They were nearing the cottage, she could see smoke rising in thin tendrils, a tell tale sign that Madame Brillare was putting dinner on the table right about now.

Opening her mouth, Kara let out a scream. Whether it be of warning to her family within their home of or of fear for her own life she wasn't sure, all she knew was that it was that scream that saved her. The door of the cottage opened the wide to reveal her father, rifle in hand. He took in the scene in a single glance, raised his rifle and fired, once, twice, three times. Kara didn't dare to glance back to see if the rifle had inflicted any damage upon her enemy. All she cared about was to get to safety, and that was what she did. Vaulting the fence, she ran up the walkway and didn't stop until she was safely in her father's arms, tears of relief and of fright running down her face.

Her father wrapped his arms protectively around her, using one hand to stroke her disheveled hair, and the other to shut the door leading her inside. Collapsing against the doorframe she didn't know how long she stood there, chest heaving with her eyes shut tight, while huge sobs wracked her small body. When she finally opened her eyes she saw much to her relief that David was seated in her mother's rocking chair, white as a sheet, but in one piece nonetheless.

After many reassurances from her parents, and a hot meal, she was sent to bed, having been told that things would be much better in the morning. But as she snuggled beneath the covers, she couldn't help but feel a small shiver of fear run down her spine. For with all that had happened that day, what had scared her most was that after being ushered inside, when she looked out the window, she saw the Maethor stand up and float away, entirely unscathed by the three bullet holes that her father's gun had ripped in its cloak, in fact, it seemed as if the holes had entirely evaporated, as if her father had not been there to rescue her after all.

**To be continued**

**Please remember that reviews feed my muse, and right now my muse is quite hungry for reviews.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Stardust, or anything created by the author. All the original characters however, belong to me.**

**Chapter 4-A Strange Visitor**

_It was upon her, its silver blade unsheathed, ready to inflict the final blow. Stumbling, she tried to roll out of the way, trying anything to escape, but the way was shut. The Maethor was almost on top of her, reaching out a hand, it grabbed her by the neck and pulled her up towards it, raising its sword to deal the final blow. Opening her mouth she let out a blood curdling scream. _

She woke with a start, panting slightly. The sheets were tangled about her, a tell tale sign that she had been rolling about, and probably kicking as well. Her nightgown was soaked in cold sweat and her heart was racing. Suddenly the door burst open as Madame Brillare raced into her daughter's room, still fully dressed, with concern written across her face.

"Honey, what is it? We heard you scream, and we" The woman sat down on the bed next to her daughter, a worried expression on her face.

"I, I actually _screamed_?" Asked Kara, in confusion "It was nothing" she said finally, after receiving a nod from her mother, "It was just a bad dream is all, I'm fine, honestly."

Madame Brillare nodded, but she was still clearly worried. "Kara, was it about what happened today?"

Kara looked down at the quilt, avoiding her mother's gaze.

"Was it?" she prompted again.

Finally, the young blonde looked up at her mother and managed a small nod.

"Oh honey," said her mother sympathetically, before gathering Kara into her arms, just like she used to do when Kara was just a little girl, crying after waking up from a nightmare. Kara leaned against her 

mother, thankful that she was there, to offer her support and comfort. Finally, Mistress Brillare broke the hug, looking down at her eldest daughter with a sympathetic, almost pitying gaze. "I'm so very sorry, I never imagined that any of this would happen, we've done the very best that we could to hide you, and keep you safe, but now, it's not only the Maethor who know. Thankfully," she said with a sigh "He's not going to hurt you, just explain a few things better than your father or I ever could, in fact, I am sure that he would be happy to see you now."

"Who?" Asked Kara, her curiosity getting the better of her for the umpteenth time.

"Around here he's known as Thoradan, but I highly doubt that it is his real name, he has gone by many. So come now, get dressed, make yourself presentable, and then we shall see if he cannot explain some things to you and answer some of your questions."

All Kara could to was nod as her mother left the room, shutting the door behind her. Stumbling in the dark, she made her way to her trunk and lifted the lid, digging through the various articles of clothing. Grabbing things at random she laid them all out on her bed and squinted in the dim light to decipher what was appropriate and what was not. Finally, she had changed into a pair of neat petticoats and a pale blue gown. Quickly, she grabbed her brush off of her small dressing table and ran it through her hair, snagging a ribbon and tying it back. Her heart had now slowed to its normal pace, and the initial shock of the nightmare had faded from memory, but that didn't keep her from gingerly peeking out the window to make sure an ominously hooded figure wasn't standing there, waiting, watching. And what for? For her.

Turning, she stepped out the door to the main chamber of the cottage. A large fire was blazing in the hearth and her father was talking with a very old and bearded man. He was dressed in white robes and held a staff of wood in his hand, despite the fact that he was seated in a chair. His beard, despite its length and thickness was neat and not the tangled mess that one would expect. His blue eyes glimmered with a unique energy, and Kara was shocked to see, that hiding beneath his outer robe was the hilt of a sword.

When he saw her enter the room, he stopped talking and looked up at her, a solemn expression on his wizened face. Quickly he stood up and gave her a nod of greeting. "Ah, Miss Brillare," he said cordially, "Do sit down." Obediently Kara took a seat, not without thinking that it was fairly odd that in her own home she was being invited to sit down by a perfect stranger. "Ah, but I am not a perfect stranger" he said, "I knew you when you were young, very, very young."

_Could he read minds?_ Thought Kara in shock, Oh _no, what if he can and he just read that?_

"No Miss Brillare, I do not read minds, I just have a good sense of what a person may be thinking. I've been around quite a long time and have had many long years to observe the human race." If she this person had been say, her father, she would have said that in fact, she _wasn't_ a human, but she was a star. But as this man was, despite his claims, was a perfect stranger, she decided that the last comment wouldn't be entirely smart. Then again, he probably knew that she had thought it anyway. The strange man now turned to her father, "Master Brillare, you wouldn't mind leaving us alone so I may discuss things with your daughter would you?"

Kara turned to her father, a pleading expression on her face, begging him not to leave her alone with this strange man. Master Brillare looked first from his daughter, to the tall bearded man now sitting in the chair again, and back at Kara. "I would be happy to, let me know if you need anything." With that, he strode across the room and disappeared into the bedroom, leaving Kara alone with her strange visitor.

**To be continued**

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